First Raids


At first, there were small raids of orc warriors who attacked the workers. These first raids weren’t very powerfull and the workers were able to fight back with their simple tools. But soon, the raid intensified, and many workers were killed during the raids before the orcs were beaten of. Messengers were sent to Thais to inform the king about the situation. The king understood that the raids were only the beginning and that the workers wouldn’t be able to hold Carlin much longer. Therefore, he sent his best soldiers, the Red Legion to help the workers defend the city.

The Bloody Legion


The Red Legion was to be known as the Bloody Legion, because they treated the workers like slaves. Food was very sparse, since the Legion ate most of it. The commander, Bistur Kahs, was a cruel leader and even the legion itself hated him. This lead to disobedience and misstreatment of the workers. But never the less, the presence of the Red Legion stopped the raids, especially after a large raid, led by the leader Burgir the unstoppable was defeated. Bistur slayed Burgir and put his head on a pole outside the city to warn the orcs.

The Rebellion


But the workers had had enough. One day, a legionnaire had beaten a worker to death because he had said that he was too tired to work. This was the last straw. The workers stormed the newly built castle and attacked the Legion with stolen weapons and even some magic. But the Red Legion was too powerful and on that day one hundred and eighty workers were slaughtered. The Legion only lost ten of their men. The surviving rebels were brought to the dungeons of the castle and now the workers had to work in even worser conditions, as a “punishment for their cruel slaughter of Legionnaires” as Bistur Kahs explained it to the king in a letter.

The Magicians


But among the prisoners were several magicians who were close friends to King Tibianus sister, Marlinda. She protested to the king, but he believed Bistur Kahs explanation of the events and said that “she shouldn’t have such evil friends” (from the diary of Marlinda). Marlinda understood what has really happened, and made up a plain to punish the Red Legion.

The Plan


She sent her loyal druids and hunters, disguised as orcs (with help from the newly invented Creature Illusion spell) to attack Carlin. The druids and hunters came to Carlin at night and attacked the Legion. The unprepared soldiers couldn’t muster a defence and many of them were killed that night, to the delight of the workers (it is said, but not confirmed, that some workers attacked the legion in the chaos that followed).

Bisturs Rage


Bistur Kahs became very angry over the attack, but it was only the beginning. The next night, the druids and hunters attacked again. And so it went on night after night, until Bistur became so angry that he marched his whole legion to the north and attacked the orcs on the island there during night. Hundred of orcs were slaughtered during that night, and when the day came the Legion left the island and marched back towards Carlin.

The Curse


Nobody knows what happened during this march. Some scholars thinks that the soldiers catched a deadly disease on the island, but some people say that the orcish shamans laid a curse over the legion. One third of the soldiers died on the way back, and among them was Bistur himself. It is said that this was a punishment not only for the slaughter but also for the killing of Burgir.

The Revenge of the Orcs


The orcs gathered their allies, the minotaurs and the cyclopses and marched towards Carlin. This is how the battle for Carlin started. The orc shamans casted mighty spell that wrecked the hastily-built barricades and killed hundreds of workers and soldiers. The survivors fled to the castle that now came under siege. Minotaur and orc shamen threw spells that shook the very foundation of the castle, cyclopses pounded the walls and orcs swarmed through the streets of the city. The humans were trapped and doomed, but they stood to the very end. Now that Bistur Kahs was dead the workers and legionaries fought with the orcs side by side, all former deeds forgotten. After two days of hard fighting, the few humans that was still alive saw the great army of Thais at the horizon.

The Great Battle


The army marched over the large empty lands north of Carlin and attacked the evil horde from the back. The horde surged forward and Marlinda, who led the army, realised that they could never defeat such a large enemy with strength alone. Therefore she used the same trick that she had used against the Red Legion. The bravest of her men disguised themselves as minotaurs and cyclopses and attacked the orcs from the south. Soon the orcs started to fight against their allies, and at the same time the army of Thais struck. Soon the evil horde was destroyed and the surviving orcs fled back to their cities. Carlin was saved, but at a great cost.

The Aftermath


When king Tibianus heard that his sister was responsible for the destruction of the Red Legion, she was banished and had to live in exile to the north. But with the help of her loyal followers and the surviving workers she managed to become the ruler of Carlin. King Tibianus was at first very displeased and attacked Carlin, but it was too well fortified now and the kings army couldn’t get through. Therefore he left Carlin to become a kingdom of its own, but there has always been a great enmity between them. As most of the survivors were women and the ruler was too, the men was only allowed to do minor work. In these days all that reminds of the battle for Carlin is a monument and a small graveyard. And of course Aneus the storyteller who tells the story for all who will listen.

I would like to thank the great storyteller Aneus, Chester Kahs who is the leader of the TBI and of course the great king of Thais and the beautiful queen of Carlin.